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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26888083">7 Minutes of Snowbaz</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowbazfan96/pseuds/snowbazfan96'>snowbazfan96</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>7 minutes in heaven, Awkward Conversations, Changing POVs, Enemies to Lovers, Making out in a closet, Oblivious Simon, Pillow Fights, Post-Break Up, Public Rivalry, Snuggling, Sour Cherry Scones (Simon Snow), Telling Stories, another awkward conversation, holding hands in the woods, holiday party, pining Baz, posh school, redemption for Agatha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:26:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,875</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26888083</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowbazfan96/pseuds/snowbazfan96</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Baz and Simon are enemies. They’ve always been enemies. So Simon isn’t exactly happy when he thinks his ex-girlfriend, Agatha, and Baz are dating. And then Agatha invites both Simon and Baz to her house for a party during the holidays. That's not going to be awkward, right? Unless, of course, they decide to play the game 7 Minutes in Heaven, which they do.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dev/Niall (Simon Snow), Keris/Trixie (Simon Snow), Penny/Micah (mentioned), Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>114</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello to anyone that may be about to read this fanfiction! Please note that this is the first fanfic I’ve ever written, and pretty much the only creative writing piece I’ve ever written. It's definitely not as amazing as some of the brilliant masterpieces I've read on AO3, but I hope you like it :)</p><p>You should probably have read Carry On by Rainbow Rowell before reading this fanfic, for context. I mean, I reveal all of the important information slowly throughout, but for general references to canon, you need to have read the book. Also, please note that this is a non-magical fanfic. I write Watford as a regular school, whereas in canon, Watford is a magical school for mages.</p><p>I've divided this fanfic into 6 chapters for convenience, and not for any particular reason. The way it's divided is random.</p><p>Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and I hope you have a great day!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Simon misses his ex-girlfriend Agatha, and is less than thrilled when he spots her with Baz in the woods.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Simon</p><p>The sour cherry scones at Watford Academy are delicious. I mean, any scones are delicious, but the sour cherry scones at Watford, in particular, taste like heaven. Especially with loads of butter on them. </p><p>I finish off my last scone and then get up from the table to go get more. Penny doesn’t so much as blink or turn her head towards me from the seat beside mine. She’s used to me going to get seconds, given that it happens every day at every meal. </p><p>As I walk over to where a plate of fresh scones has been brought out for the students, I glance across the dining hall to where Agatha sits alone at a table. She sips her tea and seems lost in thought. Her blond hair has been tied up, something I never saw happen when we were dating. </p><p>Agatha doesn’t look very sad, but why would she? She was the one who broke up with me. I don’t think she ever really liked me. I swear she always liked Baz, the bloody wanker. Not only is he smart, handsome, wonderful at playing the violin, an amazing athlete, and literally perfect at every bloody thing he tries, but all the girls in our year are obsessed with him. And he doesn’t even care. He’s never had a girlfriend, as far as I know. I’m guessing he thinks none of the girls are good enough for him. Fucking tosser. </p><p>I look over at the table where Baz is sitting with his friends as I pile my plate high with scones. He’s laughing at something his friends are saying, looking charming as ever with his perfect posture and lovely smile. For a split second he meets my gaze, and then he sneers in my direction and steers his attention back to his friends. I hate him, the git. He hates me too. Over the years we’ve more or less come to a mutual agreement to ignore each other, other than the occasional glare, sneer, or insult. We’ve definitely stopped with the physical fights, especially after the headmaster promised to expel us if we ever fought again. </p><p>I walk back to the table I share with Penny and sigh as I sit down. </p><p>Penny looks away from the book she was reading and turns to face me. “What’s wrong?” she asks, glimpsing the table where Agatha sits alone, before letting her gaze fall back on me. “Are you still upset about your break up with Agatha? It’s alright if you are. You two dated for a long time. I know how much she means to you.”</p><p>I shake my head. “I’m not really sad about the break up anymore. It’s been almost three weeks, and, to be perfectly honest, I don’t know if it ever really upset me in the first place. We were never all that good together.”</p><p>“Then what’s wrong? It seems like something’s bothering you,” Penny says, before taking a sip of her tea.</p><p>“Nothing’s wrong. I just wish Agatha would sit with us again. I know it was awkward right after our break up but I really miss having her as a friend. She really does mean a lot to me,” I reply.</p><p>“We offered to keep sitting together, but she didn’t want to, remember?” Penny reminds me.</p><p>I nod and stare down sadly at my steaming plate of scones. I pick one up and start applying as much butter as possible onto it.</p><p>“I miss her too,” Penny whispers.</p><p> </p><p>I slam the door to the room I share with Baz and growl at the bloody git himself, sitting at his desk, doing homework. </p><p>“You fucking bastard,” I snarl at him. </p><p>He doesn’t even look up from his work. He just rolls his eyes and says, “You’re going to have to be more specific, Snow.”</p><p>I stomp over to his side of the room and slam my hand down on his desk. “I knew you were after my girlfriend. You tried to break us up for years, ever since the day we got together!” </p><p>“Are you talking about Wellbelove? We’ve been over this. I have no intention of dating her,” he remarks in that posh, velvety voice of his. </p><p>“Then why did I see you holding hands with her in the woods earlier?” I demand. I refuse to back down, especially now that I have evidence that he’s trying to date my ex-girlfriend. </p><p>“May I just point out that you and Wellbelove are no longer together and who she decides to date is none of your concern?” Baz states in the condescending tone he always reserves just for me. </p><p>“I know that,” I say. “But whether or not my wanker of a roommate is trying to get together with my ex-girlfriend to spite me and whether or not he stole her away from me is my concern.” </p><p>“I’m only going to repeat myself one time: I have no intention of dating Wellbelove. I’ve never wanted to date her and she can make up her own mind when it comes to who she wants to date,” he says coolly.</p><p>“But… I saw you in the woods with her, literally half an hour ago. You were gazing into each other’s eyes and holding hands. You can’t tell me that was nothing,” I say, as calmly as possible.</p><p>“We’re friends. You can’t control who her friends are, Snow,” he mutters, clearly losing patience.</p><p>“From where I’m standing, it doesn’t look like you two are friends. I’ve never held hands with Penny in a private spot in the woods. Just admit that you’re trying to get with my ex-girlfriend, you bloody git” I spit out.</p><p>“For the last time, I don’t want to date Agatha!” he yells, all of his polite demeanor gone. </p><p>We stare at each other angrily for a moment.</p><p>“She seems to be romantically interested in me, yes, but when she vocalized said interest, I courteously rejected her. That’s why we were in the forest, in a secluded location,” he utters, all the rage suddenly gone from his voice, replaced by mild frustration.</p><p>“Oh,” is all I can manage to get out before turning around and walking out the door.</p><p> </p><p>I go for a long run after my confrontation with Baz. I feel so stupid for immediately assuming the worst. And Baz was right; even if he and Agatha were dating, it would’ve been none of my business and I wouldn’t have been able to stop them. And I shouldn’t have meddled in their relationship.</p><p>I never thought of myself as a possessive boyfriend, or a jealous ex. But I can’t help but feel… betrayed when I picture Baz and Agatha together. I want Agatha to be happy, and I’m not even that upset by the thought of her dating someone else, but just the idea of Baz, my sworn enemy, trying to date her, just three weeks after we broke up… it annoys me. </p><p>I don’t know what to think about this whole situation anymore, so I just don’t think. I always try to avoid thinking about things that I can’t have or help. What’s done is done and I can’t take back my outburst so I head back to the room and do the one thing I can do: apologize.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Baz,” I say. He’s sitting on his bed with a book. He raises an eyebrow at me and waits for me to continue. </p><p>“I’m sorry for accusing you of stealing Agatha away from me. I’m sorry for getting upset when I thought you were dating. You were right. Your relationship with Agatha is none of my business,” I say, trying to convey my regret. </p><p>I expect Baz to laugh and insult me, or sneer, or ignore me entirely and return to his book, but he surprises me and does something else, something unforeseen. He accepts my apology.</p><p>“It’s alright. I understand why you were upset. I forgive you,” he says, sounding sincere.</p><p>I look into his dazzling gray eyes for what seems like a very long time. Then I nod and say, “Thanks.”</p><p>As I grab a towel and some clean clothes so I can take a shower, Baz mumbles, “Always acting before thinking, you daft twit.”</p><p>There’s the Baz I know.</p><p>For once, I ignore his insult, and make my way to the bathroom.</p><p>I take a long, warm shower, washing away the stress of the day. I quickly get dressed, and hurry to bed. I’m exhausted. I just want to go to sleep.</p><p>As I rush to my bed, I notice the window is closed, so I go to open it. I can’t stand sleeping in a room with the window closed. I always run hot and when the window’s open, it lets in fresh, cool air. As I push the window frame up, a refreshing breeze brushes over my face.</p><p>Baz is still reading as I settle into my cozy bed and pull my soft comforter over me. I wait for him to mention the open window or for him to go close it. He’s always freezing and scolds me for opening the window, but tonight he just keeps on silently reading.</p><p>I close my eyes and fall into a deep sleep almost immediately.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading!</p><p>I hope you've enjoyed this first part. It's more of an introduction. There are still 5 more chapters. </p><p>Again, thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>To add to an already extremely uncomfortable situation, Agatha invites both Baz and Simon to a party at her house over the holidays. Will they make it through the night without causing a scene?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again to anyone who may be reading this fanfic. This is chapter 2/part 2, but pretty much just a continuation of the story. </p><p>Thanks for reading, hope you have a great day!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Simon</p><p>After our classes the next day, Penny and I go to the library to do homework. Penny reviews her science notes before pulling out her math textbook and a blank sheet of paper. She solves math problems while I read my history textbook and try to make sense of the assignment we’ve been given. </p><p>A moment later, Agatha enters the library and starts walking towards us. </p><p>I look at her questioningly as she sits down across from Penny and me at our table. She smiles at us, and says, “Hi, Simon. Hello, Penny.”</p><p>“Hey, Aggie,” I murmur as I try to guess why she’s suddenly talking to us. When she broke up with me, she told me she ‘needed some space’, and that she wanted to spend some time alone with her thoughts. The only reason I can imagine her talking to us is if she wants to start hanging out with us again.</p><p>“So I’ve had some time to think, and I know things might still be awkward but I was hoping we could hang out as friends again?” Agatha says, sounding unsure of herself.</p><p>“Of course, Aggie,” I reply, and I give her a reassuring smile. So I was right. She’s come to talk to us because she still wants to be our friend.</p><p>Penny stares at us, deep in thought, and then says, “That would be lovely. We’ve missed you, Agatha,” and she smiles as well.</p><p>Agatha looks relieved. “Thanks. I’ve missed you too.” She pauses and considers her next words. “I want to have a small get-together at my house during the winter holidays. Maybe a sleepover? I was hoping you two would come. And Simon, you can stay for the whole break, if you want.”</p><p>I think about all the holidays I’ve spent at Agatha’s house. I didn’t exactly have anywhere else to go, no family or home to return to. Her family was always kind to me. Her house is really nice and quite spacious. We always had lots of fun. But that was before our break up. To be honest, I had assumed I’d have to find somewhere else to stay during the upcoming holidays. This is a huge weight off of my shoulders, not just because I have somewhere to stay over the Christmas break, but also because I think this means Agatha and I are gonna be alright. We’ll leave our romantic relationship in the past, and we’ll be friends, and things will go back to normal. </p><p>“Thanks, Aggie,” I tell her. “That’s really nice of you to offer. I’d love to stay with you over the holidays. And I’d love to be at the get-together. We both would. Right, Penny?”</p><p>Penny nods. “Yeah, that would be wonderful. Who else are you inviting?”</p><p>“I invited Baz earlier today and he wanted to bring Dev and Niall, so the three of them will be there,” Agatha says. “Oh, and I’m going to invite Trixie and Keris.”</p><p>All of my enthusiasm towards this gathering suddenly fades. “Hold on. Did you just say that Baz would be there?” I ask.</p><p>“Well, yes. He’s my friend,” she remarks, hesitantly. She frowns. “Surely you can put your differences aside for one night.”</p><p>I shrug and furrow my brow. “I don’t know, Aggie… I saw you two holding hands in the woods,” I blurt out before I can stop myself. “I confronted him about it and he told me you’re interested in him and it seems like the whole situation would be uncomfortable.”</p><p>Agatha looks away. “I didn’t know you knew all that.” She sighs and looks back at me, staring into my eyes. She’s beautiful; she always has been. Her blond hair, almost golden, flows down past her shoulders in slight waves and frames her face perfectly. Her eyes are an enchanting shade of brown. When her thin lips curve up into a smile, she lights up the world. When we were dating, I would always wonder how I managed to get this stunning girl to be with me. I still don’t know. Every single guy wanted to be with her, and yet, she chose me. Until she broke up with me and chose Baz.</p><p>“Simon, I’m going to be honest with you. I had a crush on Baz,” Agatha confesses. “But it was just a ridiculous schoolgirl crush. Yesterday, I tried asking him out, he said he wasn’t interested, and we both agreed to be friends. I’m already over it. But if you think you’ll be uncomfortable with Baz’s presence, I can ask him not to come.”</p><p>I contemplate that for a moment. Agatha seemed excited about Baz being there. Not in a ‘I’m so excited that my crush is going to be at my party’ way, but in more of a ‘I’m going to have so much fun hanging out with all of my friends’ way. I don’t want her to be upset. I suppose being at Agatha’s house with Baz there wouldn’t be that different from sharing a room with him. Over the years, we’ve learned to coexist somewhat peacefully.</p><p>“I guess it would be rude to uninvite him…” I tell Agatha, conceding. </p><p>“Oh, thank you, Simon!” she beams. “We’re all going to have so much fun!” </p><p>Then Agatha pulls out a few textbooks, a notebook, and some pens. “I can study with you guys, right?” </p><p>“Of course, Aggie,” I respond, and Penny, Agatha and I focus on our work for the rest of the afternoon.</p><p> </p><p>Baz</p><p>When Wellbelove invited me to her house for a get-together during the holidays, it seemed like a compelling idea. Then she mentioned that she was going to invite Snow, and suddenly the idea became repulsive, yet it also sounded much more thrilling than before. </p><p>Honestly, I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me immediately that Simon would be there. I suppose it’s because he and Wellbelove weren’t in a great place. They weren’t really talking to each other, they never sat together. It didn’t seem like they were even friends. But of course he would be there. Of course they would make up after the awkwardness of the break up faded away. </p><p>I should’ve known that a pleasant evening at the Wellbelove residence without Snow was too good to be true. No matter where I go, he’s always there to torment me.</p><p>I don’t know why I said yes. I really should’ve said no, but Wellbelove is my friend (after her attempt at becoming more than that, we both decided that we should remain friends despite my rejection) and she seemed excited to get to hang out with all of her friends, including me, so I agreed. It would’ve been really hard to say no to her enthusiastic smile and doe eyes. Besides, she’s letting me bring Dev and Niall, so I can easily ignore Snow and just focus on my friends.</p><p>It’s not that I have anything against Snow. It’s actually quite the opposite. I’m bloody in love with the bloke. I love him more than I knew was possible. I mean, he’s more brilliant than the fucking sun. But I know I can never be with him, for two reasons: he’s straight, and he hates me. I’m too much of a coward to admit how I feel and/or try to be friends with him (I know I’ll want to become more), so I pretend to hate him. I sneer at him, I insult him, sometimes I ignore him altogether. We used to get into physical fights, but the fights became… problematic. Just being in close proximity to that gorgeous boy was very overwhelming. And then, once I figured out that I was in love with him, physically hurting him for no good reason was unbearable (Also, the headmaster of the school threatened to expel us if we kept fighting).</p><p>Anyway, I’m hoping that Wellbelove’s get-together is more fun than heartache. Sometimes it can be difficult to keep up the cruel facade I’ve developed when I’m around Snow. All I want to do is hug him, kiss him, comfort him. I want to ask him how he’s doing, pull my fingers through the bronze curls of his hair, cuddle with him. I want to take him out on dates. Crowley, I want to be able to at least talk to him civilly. I suppose I could if I were brave enough. Another option would be to get over him. It’s not like I haven’t tried, believe me. But even after 3 years of knowingly loving him, I haven’t managed to get over him. Not when he’s just an arm’s reach away. Our room is larger than most, but generally small. When we’re in our respective beds, I could just reach out and touch him. He’s literally an arm’s reach away. But he’s also a world apart. We lead different lives, we don’t run in the same circles. He wants nothing to do with me. So I stick to the third option: act like I hate him; lust after him when no one is watching me too closely. </p><p> </p><p>It’s been a week since the conflict Snow and I had about Wellbelove. He apologized, and I forgave him, but we haven’t talked since. It’s not like we were such great friends before the argument; we would never have a normal conversation, and we definitely wouldn’t speak on a regular basis, but we would still make sarcastic remarks and insult each other every so often. But it seems like he’s shut me out. He’s fully ignoring me now. He doesn’t even look at me. </p><p>Being the enemy of the boy I love is far from what I want, but it’s better than this. At least when we fight, I know what he’s thinking. He tells me. He tells me just how much he hates me. But now, I have no idea what’s running through his mind. And I want to know. Simon Snow, what are you thinking? Why are you giving me the silent treatment?</p><p>I stroll through the hallway of the school. The halls are fairly empty right now. Class doesn’t start for another 15 minutes, and I’m almost at my classroom. I’m early, as usual. I’m always a model student. I think my mother would be proud of me, if she were alive. I’m trying to follow her lead and carry on her legacy. Legacy is very important to my family. </p><p>Appearances are also valued by my family, the Grimms and the Pitches. They’re quite traditional, which is why most of them reacted so poorly when I came out. I don’t know what they would think if I told them I was in love with Simon. They don’t have a very high opinion of him. Not that any of that matters. I wouldn’t give a fuck about what they think of him, if we were together. Not that we ever will be. Simon will never return my feelings. </p><p>I reach my class and peek inside. The teacher is already there. She smiles and waves me in. I go to my usual desk, right at the front, and pull my notes for this class out of my bookbag. I begin to review the previous lesson when Snow walks through the door. </p><p>He walks right up to me and says, “Hey.” </p><p>I make a show of looking around to see who he could be talking to before I look at him and reply, “Are you talking to me, Snow?” </p><p>“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about Agatha’s party,” he announces as he sits down at the desk beside mine.</p><p>“What about it?” I ask. Why is he bringing that up? And why on the last day of school before the break starts? The get-together at Wellbelove’s house is in three days… the timing actually makes sense - Snow always waits until the absolute last minute until he mentions something.</p><p>“Well, I don’t know if you noticed but I’ve been avoiding you,” he says.</p><p>“Of course I noticed, Snow. I’ve had a rather pleasant week because of it,” I respond, partially lying. Him ignoring me has been driving me crazy. </p><p>He scowls at me. “Sorry to ruin your perfect week,” he mutters, “but this is exactly what I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”</p><p>I raise an eyebrow and motion for him to continue.</p><p>“We have to act respectful at Agatha’s house,” he says. “Like, we can’t fight or insult each other or anything like that.”</p><p>“A whole evening with you and I can’t comment on your idiocy. However will I manage it?” I remark, filling my voice with sarcasm.</p><p>“You just said you had an amazing week because I was ignoring you and now you’re complaining because I want us to ignore each other at Agatha’s party,” he says, exasperated.</p><p>“Oh, you want us to ignore each other? I thought you wanted us to be friendly with each other, but we both know that’s impossible. Alright, fine. We’ve been ignoring each other all week, what’s one evening at a friend’s house, hmm?” I tell him. </p><p>“No, yeah. That’s great. That’s what I want. I want us to completely ignore each other. I think otherwise, we might cause a scene and I don’t want to do that to Aggie,” he says. “That’s why I’ve been ignoring you all week. It was a test. It turns out we don’t have to offend each other every day.”</p><p>“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” I tease.</p><p>He sighs. “Just be well-mannered at the party. Please? Not for me, for Aggie.”</p><p>Bloody hell. Simon Snow is practically begging. This is really important to him. And his plan makes sense. It will be easier for both of us to just ignore each other, and I don’t want to upset Agatha either. </p><p>“Well, alright then. Since you asked so nicely, I will try my hardest to ignore you at Wellbelove’s get-together. No jabs at your constant messiness, disgusting eating habits, and low intelligence.”</p><p>He snorts and says, “Thanks.”</p><p>Then he pulls out a textbook (I don’t even think it’s for this class) and begins to absentmindedly flip through it.</p><p> </p><p>Simon</p><p>After talking to Baz, I stay seated next to him even though it’s not my usual seat. Maybe if I sit up here I’ll actually understand the lesson. Besides, I feel like maybe Baz and I have reached a temporary truce. At least I hope so. That was what I intended when I started that conversation. I seriously don’t want to do anything to ruin our evening at Aggie’s house. I think we can manage it... although she did say that anyone who wants to can sleep over that night… if Baz stays overnight, that’s just that much longer that I’ll have to be on my best behaviour. </p><p>As soon as Penny enters the class, she does a quick sweep of the room and begins to walk in my general direction. She sits down at the desk next to mine, eyes darting between me and Baz. She doesn’t say anything, just pulls her textbook and notes out of her bag. This is why I love Penny: she’s loyal, she’s supportive, and she knows when not to ask questions.</p><p>I try to focus on the textbook I’m looking at. It takes me a few pages to realize that it’s the wrong textbook. By the time I get the right one out of my bag, our teacher has started teaching the lesson. I try to follow along, but, as usual, I get lost. I frantically read over the material but it doesn’t make sense to me. The teacher has moved on to the next part of the lesson and I don’t even understand the first. I sigh, frustrated.</p><p>“It’s not that difficult, Snow,” Baz says from beside me.</p><p>“Shut up,” is all I can think of to respond with.</p><p>As soon as the professor is done teaching and gives us time to complete our homework, Penny immediately begins to slowly explain everything the teacher just went over. Either she’s really patient or she’s gotten used to my incompetence when it comes to class. She explains everything in detail, pausing to make sure that I understand, and she answers all of my questions. Honestly, I’m so lucky to have Penny as a friend.</p><p>After class, I head to the ‘personal use’ gym. This school is so posh it has multiple gyms, one of them being just for students to work out on their own time. It’s really fancy and it’s full of expensive equipment. I like to go there after school sometimes. I never stay too long; I just go through a quick workout. I’m not an athlete or anything, I just find that I prefer physical methods for stress relief. I’ve always been that way.</p><p>I do some boxing, followed by a bench press, and I finish it off on the treadmill. I spend more time at the gym than I normally do, and I feel extra sweaty when I leave. I prefer the showers at the dorm, rather than the showers they have at the gym, so I head over to my room to take a shower. </p><p>I unlock the door and walk in, only to find Baz changing into his football uniform. He’s half naked when I enter, which is something I’ve never seen, since we avoid changing in front of each other. I think I’ve changed in our room a few times with him there, and I know I’ve slept shirtless more than once, but Baz has always been very careful about changing, the prick. Why does he care if I see him shirtless? It’s not like he looks bad. It’s actually the opposite. He looks really, really good. Some might say he’s lanky, but I think he’s tall, graceful, and lean. He’s bloody gorgeous. </p><p>I blink. </p><p>Baz starts yelling, “What the fuck, Snow? Get out!”</p><p>I walk into our room and drop my bag on the floor. </p><p>“We’re both mature adults, so we should act like it. I don’t care if you change in front of me, Baz,” I say.</p><p>He blushes in embarrassment and goes back to putting on his football outfit without another word.</p><p>I take a relatively quick shower, and Baz is gone when I come out of the bathroom.</p><p>I get dressed, then pack a few of my meager belongings to bring to Agatha’s house. It’s the last day of school before the break and everyone’s going home today. It looks as if Baz is already packed for his trip back home. He’s probably just out for a quick football game with his friends or something.</p><p>I pull my bag over my shoulder and walk over to Agatha’s dorm. I wait for her outside the building. She walks out a few moments later, several bags in tow. I grab some of them to help her out, and we make our way to the parking lot. We spot her father’s car almost right away. I load our bags into the trunk and get into the backseat; Agatha’s already sitting in the front seat. </p><p>As we drive away from the school, I look back one last time at the place that I call home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you're still here, thanks for sticking with me. I'll see you in chapter 3.</p><p>Thanks for reading, have a blessed day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Everyone arrives at the party, and they have lots of fun. Agatha suggests an interesting game for them to play...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The fun begins :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Simon</p><p>Three days later, Agatha paces across the living room floor, radiating nervous energy. We’re waiting for her guests, our friends, to arrive. I don’t know why she’s so anxious; her house looks great, all decked out in holiday decorations. She’s got so many snacks that even I might not be able to eat them all. She also has an extensive amount of entertaining activities planned. Besides, it’s just our friends. We’re just gathering for a fun night with each other.</p><p>Agatha and I have had a great first three days of holidays. We’ve somehow gotten through most of our list of classic Christmas movies that we absolutely have to watch every year. The dinners her mom cooks are amazing, almost as good as Watford, so I’ve been eating quite well. We’ve played an alarmingly large amount of video games, but we also made sure to go outside for a jog every morning, so we’re not entirely unproductive. Anyway, it was all going great, but Agatha noticed the time and realized her guests would arrive soon and she hasn’t stopped pacing since. It’s been about 5 minutes of this. </p><p>I get up from the living room sofa and walk over to where Agatha is boring a hole into the floor. I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. </p><p>“Aggie, please sit down. Our friends won’t be here for another 15 minutes. So let’s just finish our movie,” I plead. </p><p>She gives me a contemplative glance. I don’t know what’s going through her mind but she sighs and nods, then sits down on the couch, unpausing our movie on the TV. She pats the space beside her and I plop down onto it. I relax and settle into the Wellbeloves’ extremely comfortable sofa. </p><p>Our movie finishes not even a minute before a knock on the door indicates the first guest has arrived.</p><p>I stay seated as Agatha rushes to the door. She puts on her biggest, nicest smile and opens the door. </p><p>Baz is standing on the other side. I’m not even surprised. Of course the bloody pillock arrives precisely on time, literally seconds after the agreed-upon time. Punctual as always.</p><p>He returns Agatha’s smile and says, “Hello, Agatha. Thank you for inviting me. My aunt Fiona would’ve come in for a quick greeting but she’s rather busy tonight.”</p><p>“Well, that’s alright,” Agatha replies. “Thank you for coming. Please, come in.”</p><p>Baz does as she says and his eyes sweep across the room. He takes in all of the decorations I helped Aggie put up - the Christmas tree, the bright, cheery lights, the paper snowflakes I helped make (Agatha made all of them while I struggled to figure out how to cut them to make the proper shape. I never managed to figure it out). He eyes the table full of snacks, looking skeptical (of course he is. The bloke barely ever eats. Maybe the great amount of snacks looks menacing to him). His gaze lands on me but he quickly looks away, remembering our agreement. </p><p>Agatha guides him to a chair on the far side of the living room and gestures for him to sit. </p><p>It is then that I notice what he’s wearing. I have to stop myself from gasping because Oh My Gosh, Baz Pitch is wearing jeans. I’ve literally never seen him wear jeans. And he looks good in them. Really good. He looks good in everything, but the clothes he usually wears are incredibly posh and just make him look like the arrogant arsehole he is. The jeans are more casual, yet expensive-looking and fancy in a nice way. Baz looks marvelous in them. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s an absolute bloody git, but the jeans suit him well.</p><p>“The other guests should arrive shortly,” Agatha proclaims, reassuringly.</p><p>I nod and fidget with a loose thread on my jumper. I count every awkward second, praying for someone to get here. </p><p>After what feels like an eternity but was probably only minutes, there’s another knock on the door.</p><p>Agatha goes to let her guests in. This time it’s Dev and Niall, Baz’s friends.</p><p>Agatha welcomes them in and brings them to the living room where they sit down near Baz. </p><p>“Hello lads,” Baz greets them.</p><p>The one that I think is Niall smiles and says, “hey,” while the other one, Dev, I’m pretty sure, just nods his head in Baz’s direction. They notice me for the first time and I give them an awkward wave. Niall (I assume. Dev is Baz’s cousin, from the Grimm family, so it would make sense that he would be the less friendly of the two) waves back.</p><p>Baz clears his throat before asking his friends, “How have your holidays been so far, mates?”</p><p>Dev rolls his eyes and confirms that he is actually Dev, “Oh my holiday’s been great. We had lots of Grimm family bonding time.” He says it rather sarcastically, reaffirming my low opinion of the Grimm family.</p><p>“I’ve had a wonderful few days with my family,” Niall says, genuinely.</p><p>Baz nods and says, “Well, it’s lovely to see you two. I expect we’ll have a fun night.”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s gonna be so much fun!” Niall says, excitedly.</p><p>“We’re gonna have a great time,” Dev agrees, with significantly less enthusiasm than Niall. Maybe this is him being enthusiastic. The Old Families, the Grimms and the Pitches, tend to suppress emotions.</p><p>“So, how’s your holiday been, Baz?” Dev asks.</p><p>“It's been pretty great. Fiona and I got started on our annual list of Christmas movies. I spent lots of time with my siblings. Things are better between Father and me. We actually had a conversation, and one that didn’t end in an argument,” Baz replies.</p><p>I start to wonder what that could be about. Baz’s father has always been really intimidating and it’s not surprising that he runs a tight ship at his house. But it seems as if Baz and his dad had some big falling out. I start to imagine all of the potential reasons for them to argue, until I remember that Baz is my enemy and I don’t care about his personal life… unless it involves him plotting against me. </p><p>I try to steer my thoughts in another direction, but Baz and Dev have started talking about politics and as much as I know I should care about that, I can’t pay attention. I just find it so unbelievably boring. So I focus on the ticking of the clock and try to find something else to think about. My mind drifts to the movie I watched with Aggie before, and I think about this really cool action scene until someone knocks on the door again.</p><p>This time I go with Agatha to open the door. I’ve never been happier to see Penny in all the years of our friendship. Agatha ushes her inside as I lean in to give her a big hug. We lead her to the living room and she sits next to me on the sofa.</p><p>“How have your holidays been, Simon?” Penny asks.</p><p>“Aggie and I have had so much fun. We watched movies and played video games and I attempted to help decorate. We had a great time, but I’ve missed you,” I tell her in response.</p><p>“It’s only been three days,” she says, rolling her eyes.</p><p>“Still. It’s not the same without you. Tonight’s gonna be loads of fun,” I remark. </p><p>“Anyway,” I continue, “How’s your holiday been?”</p><p>“Oh, my holiday’s been just lovely. A bit hectic with my whole family there. But it was nice to see them all. Oh! And Micah’s planning on flying in from America to visit me in a few days,” she says, gushing. </p><p>“Wow, that’s great! You haven’t seen him in person in so long,” I reply, happy that she’ll get to see her boyfriend after years of separation. They’ve managed to make it work long distance but I know it’s not the same as seeing each other in person. Long distance relationships are really difficult. So it’s nice that he’s coming to see her.</p><p>Penny nods and it seems like she’s about to say something else, but at that moment someone knocks on the door again and Aggie yells, “Oh, that must be Trixie and Keris! That means everyone’s here.” </p><p>She runs to open the door.</p><p>“Hello, Trixie. Hello, Keris. Welcome!” she greets them. </p><p>“Thank you for coming, everyone. It’s now time for the fun to begin,” Aggie announces after guiding Keris and Trixie to the living room. </p><p>“I don’t know what you would all like to start with. We have about 2 hours until dinner so I was thinking we could watch a movie, if everyone’s alright with that.”</p><p>We all nod our agreement. </p><p>“Okay, great!” Aggie exclaims. “We’ve got lots of options. Which movie do you guys want to watch?”</p><p>It takes a few minutes of negotiation, but we finally compromise on a movie. It’s one of the movies that Aggie and I still have to watch according to our list. It’s one of my favourite Christmas movies. Agatha brings out popcorn for all of us and turns on the movie. We watch quietly, with the occasional adlib or joke made between us. I don’t even notice the time passing until the credits start playing and I notice that it’s now 2 hours later. </p><p>Agatha’s mom comes to the living room and tells us that dinner is ready. All of a sudden, I realize I’m starving and dinner is all I can think about. We make our way to the dining room. I sit in between Penny and Agatha. Baz ends up sitting right across from me at the table. We make eye contact, but then I turn to look at the entrance to the kitchen where Agatha’s mom is coming out with a huge dish of mashed potatoes. I get up and offer to help her bring out the rest of the food. She politely declines, but I insist. We both go into the kitchen and I bring out the turkey while she brings stuffing and brussel sprouts. </p><p>Agatha says a quick prayer before we dig in. It’s all so delicious that I can barely concentrate on the conversation. I pay attention as best I can and chime in a few times. We talk about school, and then argue about which is the best Christmas movie of all time. Then we talk about what we want to do after dinner. Aggie has lots of games prepared and we try to decide which one to play. I’m terrible at all of them, so I don’t really have a preference. I mostly sit quietly and devour my meal. I go for seconds, and then thirds. I notice Baz staring at me with that look he always gives me whenever I eat: extreme disgust. He doesn’t comment on it though, which is nice. I’m really happy he and I have a temporary truce.</p><p>For dessert, we have pudding and Agatha’s mom brings out an enormous trifle. By the time we’re done, I feel really full, which is a rare occasion. </p><p>We make our way back to the living room, where Aggie goes over to the stack of games she’s gotten ready for tonight. She picks up Monopoly and brings it over. I groan even though I know my odds would be just as bad at any other game. </p><p>We play a round and it ends fairly quickly. I was very lucky and didn’t end up in last place. I somehow beat both Niall and Trixie. Baz and Penny were head to head the whole time, but Penny ended up winning, much to Baz’s dismay. He sits glumly as Agatha retrieves Uno. We play a few rounds of Uno, a game that doesn’t require too much strategy, so I end up winning a round. Baz wins the entire game and looks pleased. I have to stop myself from complaining about what an arrogant tosser he is. </p><p>We discuss what game to play next. Keris suggests charades and everyone seems alright with that. I’m glad that this game has some sort of physical component because I’ve been sitting for far too long. We try dividing into two teams. I want to be with Penny. Baz, Dev, and Niall want to stay on the same team. Trixie and Keris want to be together too. Penny and I end up with Trixie and Keris, while Agatha offers to go with the three boys. </p><p>I do a pretty bad job when it’s my turn to act, but my team does well and it’s a fairly close game. The other team wins by a few points, but it was still a really fun game.</p><p>It’s getting late, and I wonder if we’ll be going to bed soon, when Aggie suggests a game I’ve never heard of: 7 Minutes in Heaven. Everyone seems kind of embarrassed when Agatha mentions it, which confuses me. I don’t want to seem dumb, but I want to know what the game is, so I just ask.</p><p>“What’s 7 minutes in Heaven?”</p><p>Baz</p><p>Crowley, he’s thick. How does he not know this game? </p><p>As soon as Agatha said the name of the game, everyone else started avoiding eye contact. Snow just frowned. Despite him voicing his confusion, we all still refuse to look at each other. </p><p>“Oh, sorry, Simon. I thought everyone knew the game,” Wellbelove remarks. “I’ll explain it.”</p><p>Snow nods. “Thanks. Sorry I’m so stupid that I don’t even know this game that everyone else clearly knows,” he utters.</p><p>I try not to look at him, but it’s really difficult. He’s giving himself such a hard time about some ridiculous party game. If we hadn’t promised to avoid each other at this party, then I probably would’ve agreed with him and made some snarky comment about his low intelligence. That’s just the way I am. The way we are. But I don't want that. I don’t want him to think he’s stupid. He may not be the most book smart person, and he’s not all that great at the games we were playing earlier, but there are so many forms of intelligence. He’s more of a physical learner. And he’s brilliant when it comes to knowing the needs of others. He’s got such a kind heart. He’s excellent with kids. I know that struggling with school upsets him, but I don’t know why. He’s amazing in so many other ways. And I want to tell him that. I want to approach him and stroke his face and tell him how much I love him, and then kiss him, but I never will because I’m too afraid of his rejection. So I just sit in Wellbelove’s living room and avoid looking at him.</p><p>“You’re not stupid, Simon,” Bunce tells him. The two of them are practically inseparable at Watford. I see her helping Simon with his schoolwork in class. She cares about him a lot, and it comforts me to know that he has someone so dependable in his life. Even after we graduate from Watford, I’m certain they’ll remain friends. They’ve been best friends since the first day of school, while Snow and I have been enemies since the first day of school.</p><p>“Yeah, Simon. It’s just a game. None of us know every game that exists,” Wellbelove adds. “Plus, I should go over the rules of this game anyway so I can make sure that everyone is comfortable with it.” </p><p>Simon looks puzzled, but I suppose in a couple minutes he’ll understand.</p><p>“Okay,” Wellbelove starts. “So. This game isn’t really a game in the sense that it’s not a competition. No one wins. The point is just to... become closer with a person, I guess. Anyway, we begin by writing everyone’s names on little pieces of paper. Everyone’s names are put into a hat or container, and then two names are drawn each round. The two people whose names are on the pieces of paper have to spend 7 minutes in a dark room together. Traditionally, the two people would, um, kiss, and do romantic things, but I don’t think we should do that. I don’t want to force people into that situation. Some of us have partners, and like, we have different sexual preferences, so the two people can do whatever they want. They can have a private conversation, asking personal questions or things they’ve always wanted to know about each other. That would be interesting. But if not, they can just sit there in silence. It’s pretty much just a test to see what happens when two people are forced to spend time together. I’ve played it before, and it’s lots of fun.”</p><p>Snow turns a bright shade of red at Wellbelove’s description of the game. I’ve never played it myself, and Wellbelove didn’t exactly make it sound fun, but apparently it is. I’m not opposed to a nice chat with anyone in this room, except Snow. Ironically, I find it quite unappealing to kiss anyone in this room, except Snow. </p><p>“If anyone here isn’t comfortable with this game, that’s fine,” Wellbelove goes on. “We can play something else.”</p><p>We all sit in awkward silence until Wellbelove breaks it with, “Alright. Let’s play 7 Minutes in Heaven!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading!</p><p>I hope you have a terrific day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Simon and friends play 7 Minutes in Heaven... things work out quite well. Simon and Baz have a meaningful conversation.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hmmm, Simon and Baz spending 7 whole minutes in a closet together... what's the worst that can happen? ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Baz</p><p>We all anxiously sit in the living room while Agatha writes our names and puts the slips of paper into one of her hats. </p><p>“Is everybody ready?” she asks.</p><p>Everyone reluctantly nods.</p><p>“Okay. Let’s see who’s going into the closet first…” She reaches into the hat and pulls out two pieces of paper. “Looks like it’s me and Keris,” she announces. She confirms it by showing us all their names on the papers. Wellbelove asks for someone to keep track of the time, so I volunteer. I take my phone out of my pocket and set a timer for 7 minutes.</p><p>We sit in relative silence for a while, until someone speaks at last. Trixie starts prattling on about her pet dog and all the dog shows they’ve won. We discuss pets for some time, then somehow move on to the very interesting topic (sarcasm intended) of drama at our school. I pay attention to what they’re talking about, though I don’t particularly care about some boy who’s into some girl and which student is totally in love with the new teacher. Still, it’s nice to have a light conversation to take our minds off of what might happen in the closet. </p><p>Snow somehow devours an entire pack of crisps in the span of 7 minutes. It’s disgusting but also oddly endearing. I have to fight back a grin when he reaches into the bag and realizes it’s empty. That ridiculous numpty is never satisfied when it comes to food.</p><p>Sooner than I was expecting, my phone starts ringing, alerting me that the 7 minutes are up. I get up and approach the closet door. I knock twice and say, “Time’s up.”</p><p>The door opens, and both Agatha and Keris come out smiling. </p><p>“So, how was it?” Niall asks when the three of us return to the living room.</p><p>“It was great,” Keris replies. “We had a very meaningful conversation.”</p><p>“We had an awesome 7 minutes. Let’s see who’s next,” Agatha says before reaching into the hat again and pulling out two new slips of paper. She flinches when she reads the names. “Um, Baz and Simon?”</p><p>My heart drops. No way. I refuse to sit in a dark closet with Simon Snow for 7 minutes. Nope. I won’t. </p><p>Simon looks down at his lap bashfully. It seems as though everyone is holding their breaths, waiting to see what we’ll do. After a minute of indecision, Snow stands up and walks over to the closet. He opens the door and looks back at me. “Come on then, Baz.”</p><p>I’m about to argue, but then realize it’s futile. The whole point of my agreement with Simon was to avoid causing a scene at Agatha’s house. And fighting this would inevitably be causing a scene. I accept my fate, walk toward the closet, and go inside. </p><p>It’s quite large for a closet, but not exactly spacious. It’s one of those closets by the entrance to the home, generally used for storing jackets and such. I’m actually unsure as to where all of our jackets are, as the closet has been cleared out in anticipation for this game. Snow and I sit side by side, shoulders inches apart. We settle in and I wait a few seconds before telling him, “Let’s just keep up with our agreement and wait out these 7 minutes in silence.”</p><p>He doesn’t say anything in response so I assume he agrees with me. I close my eyes and count seconds in my head. I’ve only reached 32 before Snow speaks. “Why haven’t you ever had a girlfriend?”</p><p>“I thought we agreed not to speak,” I declare, trying to avoid answering his question.</p><p>“I never agreed to that,” he insists. “At least, not for this game. Our conversation last week doesn’t apply here. Aggie said we can have a private conversation. I’m curious to know why you’ve never had a girlfriend. Literally every girl at Watford is obsessed with you, but you’ve been single all these years, as far as I know.”</p><p>“Why does it matter?” I demand.</p><p>He shrugs (I think… it’s hard to see in the dark, though my eyes are adjusting). Half of Snow’s sentences are shrugs. It irritates me.</p><p>“First of all, let’s make it very clear that my dating life is none of your concern. Secondly, I’m quite sure that every girl at Watford is obsessed with you. Lastly, not everyone needs to date to feel good about themselves, Snow,” I say.</p><p>“Oh. Well, I suppose you’re right. It’s perfectly fine if you don’t want to date. But, has no one at the school ever interested you?” he asks.</p><p>Christ, I’d love to burst into flames right now.</p><p>“No. None of the girls have caught my eye,” I respond.</p><p>“Wait, has a bloke caught your interest then?” he guesses. He can be perceptive when he wants to be.</p><p>I sigh. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. There’s no turning back now, I guess. “Fine, Snow. I’m gay. Are you happy? I’ve never wanted a girlfriend. Nor have I wanted a boyfriend for that matter, simply for the reason that there are no viable options at Watford.”</p><p>He thinks for a moment before asking, “Wait, is that why you and your father haven’t been speaking? Because you’re gay?”</p><p>I just came out to him, and the first thing he thinks of to ask is if my family approves? What does he know of my relationship with my father?</p><p>“What?” is all I can think of to say. I’d like some elaboration.</p><p>“I heard you tell Dev and Niall earlier that you and your dad are finally talking again. That means you two weren’t speaking to each other before. Is that because you came out and he was upset?” he observes.</p><p>Christ, I can’t believe he put that together. This is what I mean when I say he’s brilliant. He pays attention, and he can be extremely observant.</p><p>“Yes, Snow. He wasn’t particularly glad to hear that I was gay,” I admit to him.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Baz. That sucks,” he says.</p><p>I don’t respond.</p><p>We sit in silence for a while. I imagine he’s still processing this news. I try not to flinch at all the other questions he might ask, and all the things he could be thinking.</p><p>Then, suddenly, he asks, “Why do you hate me?”</p><p>“What?” I mutter, shocked at the rapid change in conversation.</p><p>“I want to know why you’ve hated me all these years.”</p><p>Nope. There’s no way I’m answering this. Him first. “Why do you hate me, Snow?” I demand.</p><p>“You’re full of yourself, overly posh, and you’ve been exclusively rude to me since the day we met,” he fires back. “Now, answer my question.”</p><p>I sigh and squint, trying to see his face in the dark. </p><p>“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “I’ll admit, I was rude to you when we first met. But my family filled me with ideas that the headmaster was practically evil and stole my mother’s legacy. The Pitches have all attended Watford and almost every headmaster has been a Pitch. We basically founded the school and then Headmaster Davy steps in and rids the school of any memory of my mother, eliminating everything my mother did for the school with his stupid reforms.”</p><p>“But he eliminated all of your mother’s elitist policies! Now the school is way more inclusive. If your mother was still headmaster, I never would have gotten into Watford,” he points out.</p><p>“I know. I acknowledge that my mother may not have been the best headmaster in terms of inclusivity. She and my family are elitists. I’m not sure I condone that, but it’s not a crime. It’s just their opinion. But the headmaster treats my family like some sort of plague, and that’s not fair. He’s constantly suspicious of us, he’s searched our home as if we’re criminals, and he is incredibly biased against any Pitch or Grimm. He automatically assumes the worst in us. Not to mention that he’s an uptight prick and extremely self-centred. And you’re his protégé. Some charity case that he found off the streets and gave a scholarship to. And then I found out I had to room with you. I don’t know. I suppose as a kid, I perceived you as a constant reminder of the loss of my legacy. If my mother were still alive, I’d probably be headmaster some day,” I end up ranting way too long.</p><p>He takes a deep breath. “I heard about your mum, how she died in a fire. I’m really sorry. But that doesn’t allow you to hold a grudge against the headmaster, who just wants to give “charity cases” like me a chance at a good education.”</p><p>He pauses for a few seconds, then continues, “I mean, I’m not exactly a fan of the man either. We haven’t properly spoken since the beginning of the school year, and I’ve been seeing him less and less every year since 5th year. </p><p>“He has made the school more inclusive, and he did kind of take me in and give me a home, but it wasn’t because he cared about me,” he goes on. “He’s never cared about me. He only brought me to the school because he’s my fucking father and he feels guilty for giving me away.”</p><p>What. The. Fuck.</p><p>Simon</p><p>I know I’ve just said something really shocking, so I wait for Baz to respond before saying anything else.</p><p>“Ummm, what the fuck did you just say?” is what he manages to say eventually.</p><p>I explain the situation to him. “I found out at the end of last year. I went into his office to talk to him. Of course he wasn’t there. He was never there. Anyway, I saw this photo on his desk. It was of him and some pregnant woman. He had his arm around her. They seemed close. When I eventually did see him and got to talk to him, I confronted him about the photo. At first he pretended not to understand what I was talking about. But as I pressed the matter, he confessed. He told me he was my father and the lady in the photo was my mother, who died in childbirth. He had given me up, but had regrets and came to offer me a scholarship when I was older. As if letting me into his prestigious school makes up for fucking abandoning me to care homes.”</p><p>I wait and let that sink in.</p><p>“Holy shit, Snow. I can’t believe it,” is all Baz says. </p><p>We sit there, processing each other’s confessions, until he breaks the silence again.</p><p>“I know I’ve treated you harshly all these years. I know I let my grievances with the headmaster affect my opinion of you. And nothing excuses that. I don’t think you quite understand my upbringing, just as I definitely don’t understand what you’ve been through your whole life. And I know that despite your constant messiness, disgusting eating habits, and ridiculous idiocy, you’re a really good person. So, I’m sorry,” Baz says sincerely.</p><p>Oh. My. Gosh. This is the second time today that Baz has pleasantly surprised me (the first time being him in jeans). He’s apologizing to me. This feels really weird. We’ve been enemies all these years, and now he’s apologizing to me. Does that negate all the years of hate and arguments? Are we… friends now? I honestly have no idea. So I do the one thing I’m absolutely confident in. Return his apology.</p><p>“I’m sorry too,” I say. “I mean, you did start it, but I didn’t have to be so cruel. I didn’t have to return the insults, to start the fights. I could’ve let it slide, or I could’ve tried to have this conversation years ago. But I didn’t. And I’m sorry for that.”</p><p>Neither one of us says anything else.</p><p>We sit in very awkward silence. I feel this odd urge to reach out and give Baz a hug or something. This feels like some kind of growth in our relationship or whatever. But a hug probably wouldn’t be appropriate. I actually still don’t know if we’re friends, or enemies, or I don’t even know what else we could be. </p><p>I shift closer to Baz. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m doing something. Right now I’m taking action without thinking it through. I keep slowly moving toward him until we’re shoulder-to-shoulder.</p><p>I turn to face him in the darkness. I can’t see him but I can imagine what he would look like. I’ve seen him in our dark room at Watford countless times. Whenever I had trouble falling asleep, I would watch him peacefully dreaming, and that would, in turn, somehow help me sleep. I think of his eyes, calm in the night, when I would be unable to see their absolutely stunning gray colour. I imagine his full lips, looking incredibly soft in his slumber, when they weren’t releasing a slew of insults at me. I picture his long face, and the dark waves of his hair gently falling across his forehead. That’s how he came to Aggie’s house tonight. With his hair loose. I like it better that way. He usually slicks it back with gel when we’re at Watford. Just like his preppy clothes, his slicked back hair makes him look arrogant and overly posh. </p><p>It occurs to me that all of these thoughts aren’t new. I’ve thought about these things before. So, what I end up doing next, it’s not all that unexpected.</p><p>I lean in and press my mouth to his cold lips.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>More than halfway there. </p><p>If you're still reading this fanfic, I really appreciate it. Thank you! It means a lot to me.</p><p>I hope you have an awesome day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Simon and Baz finish their 7 minutes in heaven, and the game continues.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>SIMON AND BAZ JUST KISSED. </p><p>Isn't it odd that Simon and Baz ended up in the closet together? What a coincidence ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Baz</p><p>Simon Snow just kissed me. Crowley, I’m living a wonderful life.</p><p>Simon</p><p>I keep kissing Baz for a few seconds, and he doesn’t seem all that reluctant to be kissing me. He must be in shock though, so I regretfully pull myself away from his mouth and say, “Sorry.”</p><p>Baz</p><p>How dare he. How dare he give me the great pleasure of kissing him, and then take it away. And then he has the audacity to apologize for it as if it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever experienced.</p><p>No. He’s not getting away that easily.</p><p>“Don’t be,” I reply to his apology and push him back against the wall.</p><p>Simon</p><p>Baz has me pushed back into the wall, hands on either side of my head, and I honestly can’t think of anything other than kissing him again. I reach out and grab him by the back of his neck and pull him close. It’s a bit awkward in the cramped space, but it’s also incredibly relieving. I don’t think I’m gay, but there’s a part of me that’s always wanted this. I can’t believe I never realized that.</p><p>Wait… am I gay? I’ve unknowingly imagined kissing Baz countless times. What does that mean about me? I wasn’t that upset about my break up with Agatha… is that because I was never into her in the first place? And is that because I’m gay?</p><p>None of that really matters right now because no one can see us, so I decide I don’t have to think about all that now. All I have to do is hold on to Baz; I have to do that. </p><p>So that’s what I do. I caress his cheek and crush his lips with mine. It’s such an amazing feeling. </p><p>I inhale his scent, cedar and bergamot. He’s always smelled like that. </p><p>I imagine pulling my fingers through the loose strands of his hair, and realise that I’ve dreamed of doing that for longer than I care to admit. Crowley, I’m thick. </p><p>I turn dreams into reality; I wind my fingers through his lovely hair. It’s not as thick as I expected, yet just as luscious as I’d imagined. </p><p>Oh my God. </p><p>I’m kissing a boy.</p><p>I’m kissing Baz.</p><p>Baz</p><p>I have only one thought running through my mind on repeat: Simon Snow is kissing me. I’m kissing Simon Snow.</p><p>Simon</p><p>I like Baz like this. With me, his hair twisted around my fingers, lips pressed firmly to mine. I’ve finally got him right where I want him. And I’m never letting go.</p><p>Baz</p><p>I’m still in awe at the wonder that is kissing Simon Snow. He somehow tastes like scones, but also like rain and autumn and sunshine. Does sunshine even have a taste? Or maybe those are all just things that his scent reminds me of. All I know is that he tastes sweet.</p><p>All these years, I thought he was straight, but maybe I was wrong…</p><p>No matter. At least I get to have this. The details are inconsequential.</p><p>He’s got his fingers in my hair, and the sensation is incredible. I think of his bright golden locks of hair. I’ve always wanted to wind my fingers through them, so I bring my hand up to his face and gently tug my hand through the thick mass of his curls. They’re unbelievably soft. </p><p>I try to memorize the feel of him against me, taking in every sensation, but knowing my imagination will never be able to recreate this. So I just enjoy it while I can.</p><p>Eventually, an intriguing idea occurs to me. Over the years, I’ve watched Simon sleep an unnerving amount of times. It would always calm me down whenever I couldn’t fall asleep. And watching him dream was the most I thought I’d ever get from him. I was convinced that I’d never get to love Simon properly. I’m still not convinced. Anyway, one thing those nights gave me was perfect recollection of the location of each and every one of Simon’s moles. There’s one on his cheek that I’ve wanted to kiss since I was 12. So that’s what I do.</p><p>Simon</p><p>Baz breaks away from me, and I’m about to complain about it, but then he starts trailing kisses along my cheeks, jaw, and neck. I lean back against the wall and enjoy the feeling. A few moments later, I push him slightly away from me. </p><p>“Baz,” I whisper.</p><p>“Simon,” he says, so tenderly.</p><p>I press my forehead to his and we stay like that for a while. </p><p>At some point, I realize that thoughts of kissing Baz again have taken over my mind.</p><p>I no longer suppress these thoughts. I listen to what I’ve been telling myself all this time. </p><p>I lift my mouth up to Baz’s, and we continue kissing until a sudden burst of light interrupts us and Agatha’s shriek fills our ears.</p><p>“Holy shit! Simon and Baz are snogging!” she screams.</p><p>Well, fuck.</p><p>Baz</p><p>Things were going great until our 7 minutes ended and Wellbelove started crying out and alerted everyone to what Simon and I were doing in the closet.</p><p>I thought the game was about privacy but I guess that no longer matters to her. This is apparently the biggest, most exciting piece of news she’s ever heard. I honestly don’t understand why she’s being so dramatic… alright; I suppose I do understand. Snow and I have been enemies for years and suddenly we’re kissing in the closet. I internally groan. Everyone’s going to have so many questions. Simon’s going to have so many questions. Fuck.</p><p>Agatha</p><p>When I asked Baz out, and he told me no, he felt really bad for rejecting me. He ended up coming out to me to ensure I fully understood that it was him, not me, that was the root cause of his rejection. </p><p>From that moment, everything was so clear. It seemed pretty obvious that he was in love with Simon. He tried so hard to break us up. Simon wasn’t delusional; Baz always hated our relationship. I thought he returned my feelings for him, but after he told me he was gay, it instantly made sense. His feelings weren’t for me. </p><p>After I realized that, everything else fell into place. The way he looks at Simon when Simon doesn’t notice. How devastated he was when Simon wandered into the forest in fifth year and was attacked by that wolf, barely surviving. His hate towards Simon started looking more like a veneer when I looked at him under the light of this new revelation.</p><p>I’m not saying I rigged the game, but there are two identical hats (of course I have matching hats. I’m not a savage), and one of them has everyone else’s names, while the other just had Simon and Baz’s. It was difficult to pull off with all of them watching as I put the names in the hats, but none of them were really paying me any mind. They were all nervous. Understandable, considering the current outcome of the game.</p><p>I didn’t know that Simon and Baz would kiss. I just wanted to give them the opportunity to communicate. They’ve been enemies for years, but neither of them wants that. They just needed to talk.</p><p>While everyone crowds them, demanding an explanation, I quickly switch the hats back.</p><p>No one will ever know.</p><p>Penelope</p><p>It’s about damn time. I thought Simon would never realize his feelings for Baz. I’m honestly so relieved that he has. </p><p>Good job, Simon.</p><p>Dev</p><p>Baz has spent years convincing us that Snow was an idiot who was not worth our time. He forced us to help him plot against Snow, prank him, and do all sorts of crap. I’m honestly so glad that the sexual tension has been relieved. I thought the two dumbasses would never get together.</p><p>Niall</p><p>I’m proud of Baz. Really. He told me he was crushing on Simon a few years back. It was a real pain pretending to be mean to the poor kid, especially considering he’d done nothing wrong and Baz was secretly in love with him but was too cowardly to admit it. </p><p>I really care about Baz, and I’m happy for him. My mate’s finally managed to be brave and find happiness.</p><p>Trixie</p><p>This party has been sooooo much fun, but this is definitely the highlight.</p><p>This is some real drama. Simon and Baz have been public enemies for years, and now they’re suddenly making out in a closet?</p><p>I mean, they’ve obviously been into each other all these years, but I honestly thought nothing would come of it. </p><p>Wow. This has been a very, very interesting night.</p><p> Keris</p><p>Agatha told me about her plan while we were in the closet. </p><p>We talked about other stuff too. I asked her about her hobbies and apparently she plays lacrosse and rides horses. She’s super sporty. </p><p>She asked me how I knew I was gay and admitted to me that she was questioning her sexuality, and I told her that was alright. </p><p>And then she told me her brilliant plan. I never knew she was an evil genius, but she really, really is.</p><p>I always thought it was upsetting that Simon and Baz couldn’t admit their feelings for each other (it’s painfully obvious that they like each other), but it can be really difficult for some people. It took me a while to build up the courage to ask out Trixie. </p><p>I was so delighted that Simon and Baz ended up kissing. They got the happy ending, or rather, beginning, that they deserve.</p><p>Simon</p><p>Everyone’s super confused when Baz and I come out of the closet and they find out that we kissed during the 7 minutes inside. Everyone must be really shocked that Baz and I got together after years of being enemies, so their questions are understandable. This was really unexpected for everyone, myself included.</p><p>Mostly they’re curious to know exactly how it happened, so I tell them the truth - that we were just talking and it somehow dawned on me that I wanted to kiss him.</p><p>They ask whether we’re gay (not that it matters, they include), and I tell them I don’t know. Baz decides to just come out to the few people who don’t already know he’s gay. </p><p>After the initial shock and confusion, everyone settles down and they kind of shrug it off. </p><p>Wow. I can’t believe they’ve accepted this so fast. I’m obviously thrilled, and very relieved, but I thought they wouldn’t be able to let this go for a while.</p><p>We return to the living room and sit down, ready for another round. </p><p>Aggie picks up the hat, reaches in, and pulls out two of the four remaining slips of paper. </p><p>She reveals the next two victims of this game: Penny and Trixie. </p><p>Penny groans and saunters over to the closet, Trixie following close behind.</p><p>They go inside and Agatha starts the timer.</p><p>This isn’t going to be very pleasant for Penny. She and Trixie don’t really get along. They don’t have a grand rivalry like me and Baz have (had?). But they don’t really like each other either. Penny’s always complaining about how annoying Trixie is. She does tend to prattle a lot. She also has a lot of maddening habits, but who am I to talk? </p><p>Either way, I don’t think Penny’s 7 minutes in heaven are going to be nearly as enjoyable as mine were (a good portion of them anyway). Trixie is in a relationship, for one. Secondly, Penny’s straight. But I thought I was straight until I went into the closet. Now I’m questioning everything.</p><p>While Penny is in the closet with Trixie, we continue the earlier discussion about school drama, though Baz and I kissing is the most exciting piece of gossip, according to my friends. We quickly run out of other gossip to discuss, so we start talking about what we all want to do in the future. I don’t really want to answer because I honestly don’t know. I don’t think there’s much I can do. I mean, I’ll go to uni with Penny and we’ll get a flat together because that’s what we’ve always said we’d do. But I don’t really know what I’ll do after. I’ve never been the preppy, academic type, and I definitely don’t have what it takes to have some fancy, high-paying job like lawyer or doctor. My Watford diploma and university education will help me find a job though. I think I want to do something with children. I’ve always loved kids. And I like helping others. I’ll probably try to find a job where I can help children. I know what it’s like to have nothing, and to be alone and afraid in a care home somewhere. I want to make a difference in those kids’ lives.</p><p>I’m not sure I want to get into all that with my friends, so when it’s my turn to describe my plans for the future, I just say I’m undecided and pass the spotlight on to someone else. </p><p>I’m curious to see what Baz will say. The bloke’s so talented he could have any job he wants. He could definitely be a doctor or lawyer or have any other super fancy job. He could even be a bloody football player or professional violin player.</p><p>But what he actually ends up saying is that he wants to be a teacher. </p><p>I frown. “A teacher? Really?” I say.</p><p>“What? You don’t think I’d be a good teacher, Snow?” Baz demands.</p><p>“It’s Simon,” I correct him.</p><p>“What?” he says, confused.</p><p>“You called me Simon earlier,” I tell him.</p><p>“And?” Baz remarks.</p><p>“Well, you always call me Snow, but I actually prefer Simon,” I explain.</p><p>“I- ,” Baz starts. “Whatever. Fine. Simon, why do you think I’d make a bad teacher?” </p><p>“Well, no, you’d make a great teacher,” I concede. “I just never thought that you’d want to be a teacher. With your intellect, you could be a doctor or lawyer or the bloody Prime Minister if you wanted to be.”</p><p>A faint blush creeps into Baz’s cheeks.</p><p>“Thanks,” he mutters.</p><p>A few seconds pass in awkward silence before Dev offers to go next.</p><p>Just as he finishes his lengthy explanation of why his father is forcing him to be a politician, the alarm goes off, reminding us of the game currently being played. </p><p>Agatha walks over to the closet door and knocks.</p><p>“Why didn’t she knock for us?” Baz mumbles under his breath.</p><p>I suppress a laugh. It definitely would’ve been better for us if Aggie had knocked.</p><p>Oh well. I’m not gonna focus on what could’ve been, because it’s in the past, and you can’t be mad about the past. And it won’t help to focus on something I can’t change anyway.</p><p>When Agatha, Penny, and Trixie return, it’s evident that their 7 minutes in the closet weren’t awful. Penny is even smiling. Maybe they finally became friends.</p><p>The 7 minutes that Baz and I spent together in the closet were certainly beneficial for us.</p><p>Oh crap. Unless Baz denies what happened. I mean, there are a bunch of witnesses who can confirm what happened… but he could still write it off as just being in the moment. </p><p>I know what I want. I want to be with Baz. And I think he wants that too. But I don’t know what I’ll do if he refuses.</p><p>I guess I just won’t let him then.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! </p><p>If you've made it this far, I commend you. One chapter left :)</p><p>I hope you have a fabulous day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The game isn't over yet... two players remain.<br/>Baz is too scared to admit his feelings :(<br/>Penny is great at storytelling.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is it! The last chapter. If you're reading this, I hope you've enjoyed the fic. I had a great time writing it. I posted this fanfic hoping that at least one person would read it and enjoy it. All of the fanfics I've ever read have been amazing and I loved reading them. I just wanted to try to create something that others might enjoy reading in a similar way that I've enjoyed reading those fanfics.<br/>Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this last part :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Baz</p><p>Wellbelove announces that, through the process of elimination, Dev and Niall are the last two to go into the closet. Lucky fellas. They’re already mates. They won’t have an awkward conversation that ends with them kissing each other. Not that I’m complaining about the kissing. No, absolutely not. I’m just cringing at the conversation that preceded the kissing, and the one I’m sure is still coming.</p><p>As a group, we continue discussing ambitions, and then we talk about our favourite novels and exchange book recommendations. At some point, the alarm goes off and I volunteer to go retrieve Dev and Niall. </p><p>As I approach the door, I decide I’m not going to knock. Wellbelove didn’t knock for Simon and myself, and Dev and Niall are probably just talking and having a bloody good time anyway. </p><p>So I open the closet door with no warning. And I end up fucking screaming. Because Dev and Niall are making out. </p><p>FML.</p><p> </p><p>Dev</p><p>I know our friends are going to go insane, but I couldn’t help myself. I’ve been in love with Niall for years without ever being able to admit it. I couldn’t admit that I wasn’t exactly heterosexual either. My family would freak out. And besides, I’m not gay. I’m… I don’t know what I am. But I know I love Niall. And I know I want to kiss him. And I know I’ve been thinking of what to say for a while now. And I know this stupid game gave me the courage to come out and say it after all this time.</p><p>Niall</p><p>Wow. Dev fucking kissed me. I can’t believe it. I’ve loved him for so long, but I never thought he’d love me back. But then, when we were in the closet, he started babbling on about friends and romantic feelings. He confessed his love for me (I think. His long speech was mostly incomprehensible). So, of course, I said it back. And I meant it with every fibre of my bisexual being. I’m so happy that I don’t have to hide it anymore. But the backlash from our friends is going to be wild. Although, Simon and Baz’s make-out session was handled fairly well, so maybe not. We’ll see.</p><p>Simon</p><p>One minute, we’re talking about books, the next, Baz is yelling and I’m getting déjà vu. Except last time, I was the cause of the yelling. I’m not really sure why Baz is shouting. His shouts aren’t exactly words. But he eventually does yell something coherent, “Why are you guys making out?!”</p><p>Oh. Dev and Niall were making out. </p><p>I mean, I don’t know the blokes too well, but I know they’ve been friends and roommates for years, so I’m not too shocked. </p><p>Our other friends don’t seem too shaken either. They gather around the closet entrance and try to calm Baz down. I follow and ask Dev and Niall, “You two are happy, yeah?”</p><p>They smile and nod.</p><p>“Well then, that’s all that matters. Right, Baz?”</p><p>He glares at me.</p><p>“Of course,” he says, unconvincingly. “But I just don’t understand how this happened.”</p><p>“Well, you and Snow came as a shock too,” Dev counters.</p><p>“That’s different,” Baz defends himself. “You two are my best friends and I never even saw this coming. And now I’ll always feel like the third wheel.” He looks down at the floor, shamefully.</p><p>“Nothing has to change, Baz,” Niall remarks. “We’re all still friends. Dev and I are just, um, together now.”</p><p>Baz nods. “I know. And, of course, I’m happy for you, lads,” he says with more conviction. The corners of his mouth curve slightly up into a smile. </p><p>Niall flashes a wide grin, while Dev smiles in a way that looks more like a smirk.</p><p>We return to the living room, seemingly calm, and try to decide whether we should go to bed. </p><p>The verdict we arrive at is that we’ll get ready for bed, all cozy in our pyjamas, and then we’ll see what we want to do. We’re definitely done with games for the night. We can still watch another movie or talk or something.</p><p>We get our pjs and argue about who gets to go to the bathroom first. Aggie has three bathrooms in her house so three of us can go at once. After a heated debate about who deserves to go first, Agatha announces that we’ll go in the order of when we went into the closet in the game 7 Minutes in Heaven. That means that Aggie and Keris go first, and I offer to let Baz go first to the third bathroom. He refuses at first, but I insist. He disappears into the bathroom and I wait nearby. Both Aggie and Keris are done before Baz, but I let Penny and Trixie go before me and I let them know that I’ll wait for Baz and go after he’s done.</p><p>As soon as he leaves the bathroom, looking posh and elegant and fit as ever in his pyjamas, I ambush him. </p><p>“We need to talk, and I’d like to do it tonight,” I declare.</p><p>“Why tonight?” he demands. “I thought you wanted to avoid causing a scene at Wellbelove’s party.”</p><p>“A bit too late for that, isn’t it?” I point out.</p><p>He blushes, and it’s so adorable that it takes all of my strength to keep me from kissing him right now.</p><p>“Alright then, what would you like to discuss?” he mutters.</p><p>“Not here,” I tell him. I push him inside the bathroom and lock the door behind us. </p><p>“I suppose this is as good as it gets in terms of privacy,” I say.</p><p>Baz stares at me and waits for me to say what I want to say.</p><p>I take a deep breath.</p><p>“So, we kissed,” I say.</p><p>He doesn’t respond. He doesn’t even blink.</p><p>“I don’t want to force you into anything, Baz. I just want to know where you think we stand,” I tell him.</p><p>“Nothing’s changed,” he states.</p><p>No. This is not happening. No fucking way.</p><p>“Everything’s changed!” I declare.</p><p>“Why? Because we’re friends now?” he snaps.</p><p>“Because we’re more than that, Baz!” I say, pleading for him to admit it.</p><p>“Crowley, one kiss and you think the world is upside down, Snow.”</p><p>I stare him down. </p><p>“Three kisses. But, like I said, I don’t want to force you into anything that you don’t want. Seriously though, Baz. You can’t deny what happened. We can go back to being enemies or whatever, but you can’t pretend like there’s nothing between us,” I tell him.</p><p>I look at my hands and then I bring my eyes up to look at his face. He looks almost… sad.</p><p>“Baz,” I try again. “I want to be your boyfriend. Reject me if you want, but not because of your pride, or because you’re scared or whatever.”</p><p>He stares off into space contemplatively for a few seconds, then looks me right in the eyes. “Alright, Snow. You -”</p><p>“It’s Simon,” I interrupt, correcting him.</p><p>He knits his eyebrows in frustration. “Alright, Simon. You can be my boyfriend.”</p><p>“Really?” I say, genuinely surprised that I convinced Baz to admit his feelings (kind of. I mean, if he didn’t have feelings for me, he wouldn’t have accepted my offer to be his boyfriend, right?).</p><p>He nods shyly.</p><p>“Oh, but I have to warn you. I’m a terrible boyfriend,” I tell him. “I was never a good boyfriend to Aggie. That’s partly why I was so upset when I thought you two were dating. I knew you would be the perfect boyfriend, the one she deserves. The boyfriend I never could be. Smart, charming, romantic.” </p><p>“Simon, trust me. I know practically everything about you. I know exactly what kind of boyfriend you are. I also know that no matter what, I’ll be extremely happy to have you as my boyfriend,” he says, blushing profusely.</p><p>I’m almost certain that I’m an embarrassing shade of red as well.</p><p>I reach up for Baz’s mouth and we exchange a quick kiss, then stare at each other awkwardly.</p><p>I try to break the tension and tell Baz, “I’ll be out in a minute. Could you please wait outside the bathroom? I want to try something.”</p><p>He arches an eyebrow but complies.</p><p>Once I’m alone in the bathroom, I throw on my pyjamas and rush through brushing my teeth. I take a piss, and then leave the bathroom to find Baz sitting on the floor near the door. </p><p>“Come on then,” I tell him.</p><p>He stands up and looks at me, expectant.</p><p>I take his hand and lead him to Aggie’s room, our designated meet-up spot. That’s how we walk into the room: hand-in-hand.</p><p>Our friends don’t pay us any mind. They don’t mention the hand-holding at all. I’m glad we have such supportive friends.</p><p>We’re the last to arrive, so as soon as we sit down, Agatha immediately switches from friend mode to host mode.</p><p>“So what would you all like to do now?” she asks the group.</p><p>“Oh! Let’s tell scary stories!” Trixie suggests. No one argues with the idea. I think it sounds like fun, though I don’t know any ghost stories or such myself.</p><p>As the one who thought of the idea, Trixie goes first. She tells the story of a young girl who comes back for revenge after dying and haunts her ex-boyfriend. Some parts are funny and others are genuinely suspenseful and frightening. </p><p>After she finishes, Penny volunteers to go next. She’s an amazing storyteller. She has all of us engaged in the story instantly. It’s less of a ghost story and more of an action-filled tale. Her story takes place in a land of magic. She describes brave, powerful mages, battling all sorts of mythical beings: dragons, chimeras, vampires. She includes neglectful mentors, caring friends, and magic-eating villains. It’s a very interesting story, and it sounds kind of familiar, though I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before. </p><p>It’s a really long story, but we’re all so captivated by it that we don’t even feel the time passing.</p><p>When she’s done, we realize it’s rather late, and Aggie says, “I think it’d be best if we went to bed now. Unless, of course, someone else still has a story they want to share?”</p><p>No one offers a story, and no one complains about going to bed. </p><p>Agatha and her parents thought it’d be best if the boys and girls slept in different rooms, so we’re going to be sleeping in the guest bedroom while the girls sleep in Aggie’s room. Before we leave, I notice a large pile of pillows by Agatha’s closet door. They must be extras in case anyone needs one.</p><p>Suddenly, I get an idea. I walk over to the pillows, pick one up, then rush back over to my friends. Everyone looks at me curiously. I look Baz squarely in the face, before swiftly hitting him with the pillow. </p><p>“You bloody bastard,” he growls, though it sounds more playful than menacing.</p><p>Keris and Niall simultaneously shout, “Pillow fight!” and everyone hurries to grab some ammo. As we hurl pillows at each other, alliances start to form. Keris and Trixie team up. I join Penny, while Baz abandons me for Dev and Niall. Agatha is stranded on her own so I usher her over to our team. After a long and exhilarating battle, all of us somehow end up on the floor, laughing. “Let’s call it a tie,” Aggie declares.</p><p>We all agree and decide that we’re really going to bed this time. As the other boys and I leave Agatha’s room, Baz offers me his hand, and I take it. We enter the guest bedroom to find our belongings waiting for us there. There’s a sleeping bag that Mrs.Wellbelove must’ve left for me (I didn’t have one).</p><p>Baz retrieves his sleeping bag and rolls it out in a corner of the room. He sits down and starts to climb into the sleeping bag, when suddenly he looks up at me expectantly.</p><p>Baz</p><p>I know Simon just kissed me tonight, and we just agreed to be boyfriends, and this is all very new to us, but this is an opportunity for me to finally sleep with him by my side. And not just in the bed across from mine. It’s not just going to be me watching him sleep and willing myself to reach out and stroke his cheek, or wishing I had the courage to walk over and lay down beside him, wrapping my arms around him. These things can finally become a reality… if he wants. </p><p>He stares at me for a moment. Then he unrolls his sleeping bag and drops it next to mine. I give him a reassuring smile, and he sits down beside me. I’m already settled in, and he looks like he’s about to get into his sleeping bag when he says, “Wait a minute.”</p><p>He jumps up and hurries out of the room, disappearing down the hallway. I crawl out of my sleeping bag and stand up, curious about what he intends to do. He comes back not long after, blankets and pillows in hand. </p><p>He sets them down next to our sleeping bags. I look at him quizzically. He blushes and mumbles, “I thought maybe we wouldn’t use the sleeping bags so we could… snuggle?” He blushes and looks like he would rather die than repeat those words ever again. I know the feeling.</p><p>I smile wide and nod eagerly. “Of course, Simon. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”</p><p>He lies down, and I follow suit. He rests his head on my chest. I wrap my arms around him and press a kiss to the top of his head. I bury my head in his curls and inhale his scent. </p><p>“Good night, Simon,” I murmur.</p><p>“Good night, Baz,” he whispers back.</p><p>I can’t believe that after all this time, I have Simon Snow in my arms. It feels right. Like this is exactly where we’re supposed to be.</p><p>Simon</p><p>I fall asleep in Baz Pitch’s arms, right where I belong.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wrote this fanfic because the idea of having Baz and Simon get together through the game 7 Minutes in Heaven occured to me, and though I'm not exactly a writer, I thought I'd give it a shot.<br/>So, if you've made it to the end, thanks for reading!</p><p>Oh, and one final note,<br/>To anyone reading this who may be struggling right now:<br/>You are loved. You matter. You are important in this world. Please don't give up.<br/>If you ever feel like you need to talk to someone, you can email me at emmaoliviaallen96@gmail.com, and I'll try to reply.</p><p>I hope you have a lovely day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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